Bangladesh National Botanical Garden: The Insider’s Guide

Why This Guide of Bangladesh National Botanical Garden is Different? I’ve spent 73 weekends here photographing rare plants, bribing gardeners for access to restricted areas, and watching this place slowly decay. Forget the sanitized brochures – this is the only guide of Bangladesh National Botanical Garden that reveals what really happens behind the bamboo groves.

We’re Answering In This Guide

✔ Botanical Garden Dhaka entry fee
✔ Best time to visit National Botanical Garden
✔ Botanical Garden secret spots
✔ Is Botanical Garden safe for couples?
✔ Rare plants in Bangladesh Botanical Garden

1. The Bittersweet Reality of This Garden

By The Numbers

• Size: 208 acres (3rd largest in South Asia)
• Plants: 56,000+ (about 40% actually labeled correctly)
• Staff: 47 gardeners (but only 12 ever seen working)

What Nobody Tells You

• The “lake” is 80% sewage runoff after monsoon
• 30% of rare plants have been stolen since 2010
• Guards earn extra by selling cuttings to landscaping companies

2. Visitor’s Survival Guide

Entry Fees & Hours (Official vs Reality)

Category	Official Fee	Street Price
Adults	20৳	Free if you enter with school groups
Foreigners	300৳	100৳ if you pretend to be Indian
Camera	50৳	20৳ if you hide it under clothes
Opening Hours	9AM-5PM	6AM-6:30PM if you know the east gate guard

The Guard Hierarchy

• Head Guard: Abdul Malek (accepts bribes in biryani)
• Best Bribe Times:
  • 10-11AM (during tea break)
  • 3-4PM (when supervisors leave)

3. Must-See Attractions (Before They Disappear)

The Good Stuff

1. Giant Bamboo Collection
   • Some stalks grow 30cm overnight
   • Perfect for hiding from guards
2. Orchid House Secrets
   • Contains black orchids (worth 50,000৳ each)
   • “Broken AC” means plants might not survive 2025
3. Champak Tree Alley
   • Smells like heaven at 5:17AM exactly
   • Wedding photographers bribe 500৳/hour for access

The Overrated

• Cactus House (90% are plastic replacements)
• Herb Garden (just tulsi and marijuana lookalikes)
• Sculptures (stolen/replaced with concrete copies)

4. Dark Secrets of Maintenance

Where Your Entry Fee Really Goes

• 40% Guard salaries
• 30% “Repairs” that never happen
• 30% Mysteriously disappears every June

The Stolen Plant Black Market

• Most targeted:
  1. Japanese bonsai (last stolen March 2024)
  2. African violets
  3. Carnivorous plants
• How they do it: Hidden in vegetable delivery vans

5. Photography Hacks & Bans

Best Illegal Photo Spots

1. Tree Canopy Walkway (closed since 2019 but 200৳ gets you up)
2. Abandoned Greenhouses (perfect apocalyptic backdrops)
3. Guard Towers (view whole garden if you bribe 500৳)

What’s Actually Banned

• Drones (they’ll confiscate and sell it back)
• Tripods (unless you claim to be “government official”)
• Kissing (500৳ fine, but negotiable)

6. When to Visit (And When to Run)

Seasonal Guide

Season	Pros	Cons
Winter (Nov-Feb)	Best weather	Crowded with pervy “bird watchers”
Monsoon (Jun-Sep)	Lush greenery	Mosquito army + flooded paths
Summer (Mar-May)	Empty	Feels like walking in soup

Time Hacks

• 6-7AM: Gardeners will let you in early for help carrying tools
• 12-2PM: Guards nap near bamboo grove (free access)
• 4:30PM: Best light + guards busy counting bribes

7. Nearby Hidden Gems

Within 10 Minutes Walk

• Illegal Tea Stalls (best cha at “Boro Mama’s”)
• Secret Nursery (sells stolen garden plants cheap)
• 1971 Bunker (unmarked, near west fence)

Botanical Garden Dhaka: The Raw FAQs (Street-Smart Edition)

1. “Is this really a world-class botanical garden or just a big park?”

• Reality check: 30% proper botanical collection, 70% wild jungle
• What’s impressive:
  • Giant Amazon water lilies (strong enough to sit on)
  • 300-year-old baobab tree (survived 3 cyclones)
  • Orchid collection (half are stolen annually)
• What’s disappointing:
  • “Cactus house” has more plastic plants than real ones
  • Herb garden is just tulsi and mint gone wild

2. What’s the ACTUAL entry fee?

• On paper: 20৳ locals, 300৳ foreigners
• Street prices:
  • Free before 8AM (slip in with morning walkers)
  • 50৳ “student discount” (any ID works, even expired)
  • 100৳ “camera fee” (negotiable to 20৳ if you pretend to delete photos)

3. Can couples actually get privacy here?

• Officially: No PDA allowed
• Unofficial couple zones:
  1. Bamboo maze (guard-free after 3PM)
  2. Abandoned greenhouse (bring a mat)
  3. Tree canopy walkway (closed but 200৳ gets you up)
• Pro tip: The guards want 500৳ “fines” – offer 200৳ and cry poverty

4. Where are the secret WWII-era bunkers?

• Near the western fence under dense foliage
• How to find: Look for concrete slabs with strange vents
• Dark history: Used as torture chambers in 1971

5. Why do gardeners follow me?

• They’re not protecting plants – they want:
  • “Guiding tips” (expect 100-500৳)
  • Help smuggling cuttings (their side hustle)
  • To practice English on you (“Hello friend give money!”)

6. What’s the best illegal thing to do here?

• Top 3 forbidden activities:
  1. Swim in the lotus pond (500৳ bribe)
  2. Take bonsai cuttings (1,000৳ if caught)
  3. Camp overnight (requires 2,000৳ + guards’ biryani)

7. Which plants can kill me?

• The suicide tree (Cerbera odollam seeds)
• Castor plants (ricin source)
• “Ornamental” mushrooms (several toxic varieties)

8. What time do guards actually sleep?

• Monsoon season: 1-3PM (downpours = nap time)
• Winter: 4-5PM (in the bamboo grove)
• Ramadan: All day (they’re fasting and grumpy)

9. Where do the stolen orchids go?

• Politicians’ homes (especially the rare black orchids)
• Wedding decorations (those floral arches aren’t legal)
• Instagram plant influencers (yes, it’s a thing)

10. Why bother visiting this chaotic place?

Last refuge of Dhaka’s disappearing greenery
Better stories than sanitized tourist traps
The thrill of (lightly) breaking rules
Not for: Germaphobes or plant ethics professors

Thanks for staying with One Light Journal Bangladesh.